Ragnar Relay McDowell Mountain Trail Ultra Recap

A long time ago (for the blogging world) in October, I ran the Ragnar Relay McDowell Mountain Trail Race (Ultra Style, of course). I was hoping to run a ultra team, because a challenge is always fun! ;)
But I asked around and no one wanted to run it. They all said I was crazy. So, I bravely posted on the Facebook page for the event and got way more responses than I thought! Two guys were interested right away, Rick and Charles, and they seemed like pretty cool guys so I thought, "why not?". A few other people were interested, but they all seemed to come in two's and there was only one spot left. I then decided to post on my own page and see who would reply. Thankfully, my good Ragnar buddy Brett wanted to run it! We had a team!

When I told people that I was running on a team with two strangers, I always got the strangest looks. But people don't realize that the people that run Ragnar are always the coolest. :)  And these two were Ragnar fanatics.

I picked up Brett from the airport and then got Charles and Rick from a hotel in Phoenix. We drove to Target and picked up some much needed food supplies. Then, we drove to Fountain Hills for some breakfast before we headed over to Tent City to set up our space.

Ragnar Relay Napa Valley Ultra Recap - Legs 2 and 3 + Some Fun in San Francisco

Okay, now on to my last 2 legs! Since I was a terrible photographer at night (awful photos because of all the reflective gear we have to wear and we are all grumpy and tired; no one wants someone taking photos with bright flashes at 2AM), I will combine the two legs and hopefully it will not turn out to be a super long post. :)

I forgot to post this photo on my last entry. I took it near the end of my 1st leg. It's a photo of a guy and a cat taking an evening stroll. As I ran up next to them, I had to ask him if it was his cat, because that would be super cute. He said he didn't know who's cat it was; they just meet on the path every evening and walk together. EVEN CUTER. 

A guy and his cat friend. 

 Anyway, back to my running adventures in Napa Valley! 

I remember getting in the car and driving to the next checkpoint to meet Brian. This is the only photo I got of my team passing off. No good. So I put them camera away for the night. 

I can't even tell who's passing off to who...

Oh, but there's this gem. I guess I took this while I was about to pass out, which is why I hardly remember taking it...

Ragnar Relay Napa Valley Ultra Recap - Leg 1

This past weekend, I was rewarded with an amazing runcation (running vacation) adventure in Northern California. I got to run on an ultra team in the Ragnar Relay Napa Valley! It was such as amazing experience!!!

This was the first time that I really traveled for a running event. Traveling to Phoenix for races doesn't count, it's too close and in no way a vacation. So, I was especially excited to get on a plane and travel to a part of the world I have never been to before. :) I packed my bags and I packed light!! I was so impressed with myself. I should write a section on How to Pack for A Ragnar. Definitely on my to-do list.

I actually packed light!

I took the day off on Thursday and Friday so I could fly in early to San Francisco. And also, my planes always get delayed so I try to get on early flights so it won't affect me. This flight was only delayed by 30 minutes (so short!) so it definitely wasn't a problem.

Flying into San Francisco.

Mt. Wrightson Ascent with TTR

I've been a little behind in updating. But I want to make sure I don't get too far behind. So much has happened in the last month! Hopefully, I will get a few posts out this week so that I can catch up. :)

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A few Sundays back, I ran up and down Mt. Wrightson once again. I fell in love with the mountain when I ran it for the first time in May. It's so beautiful and very few runners show up for the the runs down there. It's too far away or something (versus the Sabino Canyon runs when everyone and their mother shows up). I love being alone when I run trails and this time was no different.

The morning of the run, it was a little drizzly outside. It made for a PERFECT run. It was so beautiful on the trail. It was peaceful with the sound of rain falling gently on the trees around me. What an amazing experience.


The forest was more alive during this visit. The rain from the monsoons had created a lush, green environment for us trail runners. And for the bears as well...there were berries everywhere! They covered the bushes and the floors And not soon after I discovered this, I also discovered there was a lot of bear poop on the trail! And I mean A LOT. I saved those photos for the end.

I felt as if running to the Josephine Saddle, about 2 miles up, went a lot faster this time. I guess I already know the trail and I had a general idea of the twists and turns. It also helped that I was "cheating". I brought my iPod with me! I know, what a terrible thing for a trail runner to do!
You're supposed to be listening to the outdoors on the trail (and possibly animals and other humans).
But music helps me think about other things instead of the pain in my lungs/legs at the time.

Josephine Saddle...and a memorial for the boy scouts
that died here in the 50's. 

The trek after Josephine Saddle was a lot slower and a little more difficult for me. After getting passed by some late-comers just before Josephine Saddle, my hopes for not finishing last were dashed. I am not the greatest uphill runner of all time, let's face it. This is something I need to work on. But I was determined to catch up with my insane downhill speed that I will bust out later on. :)

The rain had stopped and I knew where my next checkpoint was. I tuned into my music and trudged along. The uphill was getting a lot steeper and a lot harder to run. I power walked a good portion of it.

The trails were quiet and beautiful. :)

    

I love this part in the trail. It breaks away to show this side of the
mountain. It feels so mysterious and quiet here. 

  

  

By the time I got to this point in the trail, past the second saddle, I started to run into a lot more TTR people. They were speeding by! I was starting to get worried that I would not be able to catch up with them!

I also noticed a funny thing. Whenever I said hi to any of the runners, they looked very surprised. Like...too surprised.
I was starting to get a little annoyed. I would say "Hi! You're doing great!" and then get this look like, I don't know you...who are you? Why are you speaking to me??
They either don't remember me from the group or don't speak to people much. JK.

But no worries here! I am stepping up my game. I think I just need to be more involved. I have been going to more runs (first step) and next I will either try to RD a run or get a position within the group. Recently, an opportunity came up in which I was ALMOST able to do the latter. I just got to it a few seconds too late and unfortunately, it was snatched away quickly by someone else. :(

There is always next year. But it is hard being the youngest in this group. And it doesn't help that I look like I'm 18. I am truly trying my best and I may never be the fastest, but I will get points for having the most energy and spunk. That will get you far. Trust me. :)

Back to the trail!! I get so off topic sometimes. 

At this point, I have made it past the second saddle and I am on my way to the top!

All of the TTR runners have passed me, and I am trying to get myself to run faster so that I have an opportunity to catch up with them later on.

And finally...I make it.

Looking towards Mexico. 

I made it to the top! Again!
In one piece! Yay!

Looking towards Tucson.
You can see the remains of the fire lookout building to the right. 

It is so incredibly peaceful at the top. There is no one else with me, so I was grateful.
I stood up there, watching the rain clouds in the distance, and trying not to think about the run down.
I looked towards Mexico, and imagined running there one day. Maybe to the border? Maybe in the actual country? Oh, I would love to do that. One of my many running dreams. :)

I take a few more minutes for myself until a hiker arrives. It is time to go.
I start a little slow (it is very rocky at the top and the cliffs are high, I don't want to slide off!).
I really take off running when I hit the solid, dirt ground.
I want to catch up, so this is my time.

  

I decided to take the Super Trail down this time. Stupid idea. 

 

 I had this fantastic idea of catching up by taking the Super Trail, which I was told was a little longer than the other one. I thought it was great because the Old Badly Trail was shorter, yes, but much steeper than the Super Trail. I figured I could gain more ground if I wasn't tripping over rocks every few seconds. And I was never told the mileage on the Super Trail. When I was told that it was a little longer, I was thinking a few minutes longer. NOPE.

I was about a mile and a half longer. Yes, it was smoother, but I think that made it worse.
At point I looked at my watch and thought I should be done by now, but I was still halfway up the trail.
And then I got lost. For only a few minutes. I didn't stray TOO far off trail, but I was definitely being led in the wrong direction. That dampened my spirit.

Some bear poop for your
enjoyment. There was a TON
of this on the trail. 

Almost to the bottom of the trail!

Thankfully, I was only a minute away from the finish! I came running into the parking lot, with my hands up and some guy clapped. It was nice. I spoke to Gene (the RD) and ate some strawberries, a cookie and lots of pickle juice! I'm not much for schmoozing (especially when I don't hit my time goal) so I bid farewell and I was off.

 Time - 4:10
Distance - 12.17 miles

Overall, it was a beautiful run! I don't think I can say that enough!
I love running in those mountains. It is always so peaceful for me.
Next time, I will check out the trails AND the mileage before I decide to run them. I need to mentally prepare myself. Because if I don't (like this time) I get annoyed and upset at the end.

I wholeheartedly recommend Mt. Wrightson for everyone! Get out there and enjoy your trails!!!
Happy running! :)

30 Day Plank Challenge

I have decided that I need to make working out (not just running) a daily occurrence. I need to stop doing it willy-nilly and actually stick to it! I found this great 30 day plank challenge that I am going to commit to. 

That's right: COMMIT. 

I'm not just trying it out. This. is. going. to. happen. 

NO EXCUSES!

Does anyone else want to try this with me? Keep me updated with how you are doing. Let me know here, on my Instagram (or username runningroundthecampfire), or on my Twitter (or username tucsnheatrunner). 

READY?

Let's go!

Bear Canyon Loop (The 2nd Time Around)

Last Saturday, Kathryn invited me to run the BCL trail with her. This is one of my favorite trails in Tucson. I'm not sure why exactly, but it's a great loop.

I remember every mile of it: 5 miles is right above 7 Falls; 7 miles is above Thimble Peak and the worst hills have past, 8 miles starts the fastest downhill I have ever run; 13 miles is near the end of the trail before the road and 17 miles is the end!

I guess knowing each milestone along the trail helps to make the miles fly by. And every time I run it, I remember more. 

We started at 5:30am in the SCVC parking lot. The high was going to be in the 90's so we wanted to start out early. It would take us about 4 hours to finish and that would put us ending at around 9:30am.

  We took the trail towards 7 Falls and would come back down the main road.

5:30am - Running down the road to
7 Falls.

Kathryn, almost to the trail head.

On the 7 Falls trail, about to cross a
water crossing. So beautiful!

  The trail was so beautiful at this time in the morning. I need to get out here more often at 5:30am!

We continued down the 7 Falls trail. I was doing a pretty good job of keeping up with Kathryn (running with other people stresses me out; I never know if I am slowing them down or not! Does anyone else ever get that feeling?). But then we reached the first switchbacks heading up the trail. I didn't see her again after that. She was so fast! I admit, I was taking my time and taking pictures along the way. Also, my weakness is running uphill so I need to work on that. ;)

A view of Tucson from back in the canyon. 

The canyon walls. So beautiful with the rising sun!

Looking back on the switchbacks. 

Running above 7 Falls. 

As the trail curves around, just above 7 Falls, there is a whole new canyon. I love running deeper and deeper into this canyon. You feel so alone! I usually never see hikers out this far.

The switchbacks from another view. 

Before running around the bend,
I came across this downed saguaro! Poor thing. 

A cute, little waterfall. Next time, I'd like to jump in that water!
It was hot and humid on this run! 

At the top of the trail, the highest point on the BCL,
I found someone's water stash.
You can see Thimble Peak in the background. 

The area above Sabino Canyon. So beautiful! 

 I didn't get to take any photos on the way down ( I was running too fast!). The downhill, just after this point, is such a relief after climbing for so long! When I reached the road, I jumped in the stream at every. single. crossing (it's about 5-7 water crossings). I swear, people thought I was crazy!

Definitely one of my favorite runs! I ended up finishing in exactly 4 hours. Just like the last time I ran it. I can't wait to get a PR on this trail. I am making some plans to include Sabino Canyon in some more of my training runs. I need to work on hills. :)

This run gave me some fantastic looking toenails (2 black toenails) so that tells me that I may need some bigger shoes (maybe a half size larger). I will share those photos with you later. ;)

This weekend, I am running Mt. Wrightson. It's supposed to rain and get pretty cold so I'm looking forward to an exciting run! 

Surviving the Treadmill

I'm training for an ultra so the most important thing for me...

are the LONG RUNS. 

However, I live in the Southwest and long runs either happen at 4AM in the morning,

after 6PM, 

in the mountains, 

on a treadmill,

or not at all. 

In fact, many runners that live here tend to take their off season

during the the summer months. 

It's just too darn hot. 

A typical summer morning. 

But I don't have that option. 

I'm running my first ultra in a month. 

A MONTH. 

(Oh boy)

Anyway, I had this plan.

I was going to wake up early on a Sunday morning and go for a 10 mile run. 

But then Sunday morning came around

and I just happened to hit the snooze button....

6 times. 

I woke up, angry with myself for not being a morning person

and realized that I cannot get out of this. 

I have to do my long run! 

I decided I would go to the gym and give the treadmill another try. 

Whelp. 

I Hate the treadmill. 

I am sorry to all those treadmill loving runners out there. 

I do not mean to offend you. 

But. I. Can't. 

I can't. 

I just can't do it. 

It makes me crazy. 

Super crazy. 

Running in one spot. 

Craziness. 

The longest I have ever run on a treadmill is 6 miles. 

That's it. 

And I just about went insane. 

So knowing I had to give it another try = whelp. 

I got to the gym, put on a smiley face

put positive thoughts in my head 

and got on the treadmill. 

Positive thoughts. I can do this!

 Thank goodness the gym has treadmills with TVs in them. 

I think that is the most important thing for keeping your sanity on a treadmill:

DISTRACT YOURSELF!

This kept me sane.
Don't mind the woman in the cowboy hat,
I was watching the travel channel. 

Distraction is key when running on the treadmill. 

You have to get your mind focused on something else. 

TVs are great because there is something to look at. 

Treadmills without TVs are another story. 

I would recommend you listen to music 

or hope that your treadmill has a nice view out of a window. 

Some people I know hang a photo up

of their goal or of people that are nice to look at. 

I only got about 2.5 miles into my run when the treadmill read, "Cool Down". 

Excuse me?

Don't tell me when I need to cool down. 

I'm running here. 

Apparently, the treadmill (and I assume the gym) doesn't want you running for more than 25 minutes. 

I had to take a long walking break to start it back up again. 

And then it did it again, 0.3 miles later. 

WTH?

Skip to the end of the story....I said screw this, and went to the weight room.
I got in about 3.2 miles total. 

So, no long run for me. Sad? Eh. Frustrated with the treadmill. As usual. 

Moral of the story: I will use a treadmill again...if I have to. Otherwise, I'll just stick to the roads and trails.  Oh, and I'll learn to wake up on time and forget about that snooze button. :)

I must have caught a bug...a RAGNAR bug!

I'm a Ragnatic!!!
I've signed up for 2 more Ragnars!

While it may not sound crazy to you, it definitely does to me.
After my most recent Ragnar in February, I told myself I would never run a Ragnar ever again.
I was in a mood that race weekend and I was feeling extra stressed and homesick for some weird reason.

 It was also my worst Ragnar ever.

I felt slow, sluggish, hungry, and extremely tired. I was in a bad place and I should not have run a Ragnar that weekend. My mistake. :/ (Sorry teammates, I know I was a moody monster!)

So, when I found myself wanting to create an ultra team for the new Ragnar Trail Relay, I surprised myself.  I guess, as endurance athletes, we forgot about the pain and go back to things we told ourselves we would never do again.

I remember when I completed my first marathon, I was in so much pain and I thought it was way too long. I had second thoughts about training for a second one. But you know how things go, give it a few months and those memories of pain and suffering will disappear. :)
I'm hoping my next marathon will be in December.
But back to Ragnar -------> I signed up for TWO Ragnars!

In the span of one month...and they are both ultra teams! I am definitely challenging myself with this...considering my training my not be ready for an ultra. I am taking that problem on a day-to-day basis. You'll definitely hear about it later.

On Sept. 20th, I will be running across Northern California (Napa Valley) with an ultra team comprised of 6 runners/mostly strangers all crammed in a van.


And on Oct. 18th, I will be traversing the McDowell Mountain Region and it's trails in Northern Phoenix with an ultra team comprised of 4 runners.




I am definitely......SO FREAKING EXCITED!!!!

And a little nervous.
I may possibly be the slowest runner on my team.
My training may not yet be at ultra level but mentally, I am ready for this.

Training posts to come..........................

Oh! And I also applied to be an Ragnar Ambassador!
*Crossing my fingers!*

Going a little Ragnar crazy over here... ;)

Santa Catalina Ascent

Back in May, I decided to run up Mt. Lemmon. We would start in Sabino Canyon and end at the beginning of the Mt. Bigelow Trailhead at Catalina Highway, at least 14 miles up. The hard thing about this run obviously wasn't the mileage, it was the elevation climb: Almost 6000 feet of change! And had I completed the entire challenge (26 miles to the top) it would have been a lot more. 

We started out at 6:00 am at the Sabino Canyon Parking lot. I signed in, grabbed a map and dropped off my drop bag (Mt. Lemmon can get cold at the top, especially after all the sweating I would be doing) with the run director. I recognized some people, but I'm still too shy to say hello. I'm always the youngest on the runs and I feel as if I am not yet fully accepted. It's just a feeling, but I usually have good instincts about things, as silly as that sounds.  

We walked down the road together so we could all start together at milepost 0. And then we were off!
I will be honest, I wasn't keeping up my fitness, so I was really slow.
My goal was to make it to the top, alive, and not beat any records. That's it.
So, when the TTR group took off in front of me, I wasn't surprised. I was worried that I would be the last one, but I knew they wouldn't leave me out there alone. :)

Starting out early in Sabino Canyon, TTR runners out in front. 

A little farther down the road,
Thimble Peak in the background. 

Feeling slow, but good. 

 I finally reached the end of the road. I looked up and saw how far ahead the other runners were (there are a few switchbacks on the trail above the road). And they were booking it! They were running at such a great pace uphill I was amazed as to how they were doing it! I guess I need to train on hills more. :)

The end of the road and heading up Sabino Canyon Trail.

Looking back down at the road.

 I was already winded going up the trail so I had to slow it down and power hike it for awhile.
I knew how far I had to go (and how high) so I didn't want to completely wear myself out).

Heading up the trail. The blue mountains in the background
are where I need to be. 

I kept trucking along and finally got some energy from the gel I had eaten. I crossed paths with another trail runner (I think she was part of TTR) going the opposite direction and I wondered where she ran to. Did she make it to the top and she's coming back down!?! Holy crap!

I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but I have to keep myself entertained on these runs. :)

Take the East Fork!

I finally reached another trail sign after worrying that I may have missed it and was going in the wrong direction.  I looked at the map and decided the East Fork was the way to go. I had almost taken West Fork. Ugh, that would have made me really sad, with the way I was already feeling. 

Rounding another corner, going deeper into Sabino Canyon. 

 Sometime after the trail sign, I started freaking out. I had remembered reading about all those recent deaths from africanized bees here in Tucson and my mind started to race:
What if I get attacked today? I'm alone, no one would know until later. It's almost summer so no one is hiking this far back in Sabino Canyon because of the heat. And I'm the back of the pack of the TTR runners. Thankfully they would come look for me. But it'd be too late. I can't outrun bees when I'm this tired! Ugh, RUN FASTER! 
Seriously. This was what I was thinking. I am so paranoid sometimes!

 And then...I started thinking about mountain lions and mountain lion attacks. I was not doing a good job of motivating myself to run faster. I was slowing down, looking behind me, trying to be as quiet as possible, etc.
So, I didn't get any photos during this part of my run. And it was actually really pretty! There were large, shady trees and lots of green-ish plants (a big deal here in the southwest). But I was too busy thinking off mountain lions...

You should have seen my face when I heard noises some distance behind me. I literally froze.
Thankfully, I wasn't the last TTR runner!
Two women had taken the West Fork trail and go backtracked. So they were coming up behind me.
I was thankful because it gave me a reason to go faster...I didn't want to be passed!

Out of the canyon, heading
up some steep hills. 

 After I got another energy boost from the women behind me, I left the cool, shady trees of the canyon and started by ascent uphill. And it wasn't an easy uphill. It was some serious uphill trail. 

I kept pushing myself, and continually looking back to make sure I was still far ahead of them.
Unfortunately, they were going pretty fast. And those uphills were killing me!

So, I had to let them pass. We all stopped on an overlook of the city and chatted for a little bit. I asked them about mountain lions. They said they never saw one...ever. I think they thought I was a little crazy for my paranoia but they definitely helped ease my worry. 

However, it was too late. I was already drained from all the worrying I was doing.
Like...sleepy drained. I literally wanted to go to sleep. 

My drained self, wanting to take a nap. 

So, I did. I think. I can't really remember. I was so tried!
I remember sitting down on a rock and I think i put my head down for what seemed like a few minutes.
And I'm pretty sure it was a few minutes. Because I remember frantically texting my boyfriend telling him I may die and I needed to be saved. But I eventually just settled with telling him to meet me at the Mt. Bigelow trail-head on Catalina Highway. 

I forced myself to get up and walk to the end if I had to. I wasn't going to stay out there. 

So I pushed myself. I ate a gel, hoping to get some energy. I mostly walked, and sometime I got a minute of jogging in. But it was mostly an uphill battle, literally. 

Looking out over Tucson.

Thimble Peak, from the other side. You can even see Phoneline Trail if you look close enough. 

 I started to climb even more. I passed some fairly high cliffs and if there was running water, I'm sure there would be waterfalls. 

Looking over some cliffs on the Palisades Trail.  

Thimble Peak disappearing in the background
as go farther up the trail. 

 My next goal was to make it to Mud Springs, the farthest point I had been coming down the Palisades trail from the other direction. I was going to cover the entire trail today, something I had been wanting to do for a very long time! 

The second I hit the mud, I was ecstatic! I was so happy I got another burst of energy. I was impressed with what I had just accomplished. I never thought I would be doing anything like this 2 years ago.

I was almost there!!!

The mud from Mud Springs. The name doesn't fool you. :)

It was actually full today! If I needed some water, I may actually drink it too.
It didn't look nasty as usual. 

So, I was almost there.

I knew I had to keep going.
And I still had to keep pushing myself to get there.

Just after Mud Springs.
I knew this part of the trail well. 

 I was so happy when I saw the pine tree line up ahead!!

PINE TREES!!!! 

 I was a little delirious at this point. I was elated to be so close and so happy to be outdoors and doing what I love to do most! 

A few more uphills to go. 

 This part of the trail was really tough for me because I knew exactly how much more ground I needed to cover. My childhood summer camp is just above this trail I hiked it a lot as a kid and as a counselor a few years ago.
When I got to the top of a particularly tough climb, I met two elderly rangers sitting down and enjoying the view. They were so cute! The woman was asking where I had come from and she was amazed at my answer. I was too. :)

Looking back from where I came from, feeling
impressed with myself. 

 I came near an intersection in the trail that I used a lot as a camp counselor and I saw Shower's Point.
I have probably hiked there over a hundred times in the past 15 years. It brought back a lot of good memories.

Shower's Point! Oh, how happy I am to see you!

I was getting really tired again. My legs were cramping up and I just ran out of water. I hoping to see Chance out on the trail somewhere (not sure why I thought that, but I did) so I was disappointed when he wasn't there. I finally reached the end of the Palisades Trail and I guess who was there?? Chance! He was waiting for me!  

He gave me some Gatorade to finish the last mile and he drove alongside me for a few feet until I told him to meet me at the aid station. 

Organization Ridge Road: The final mile.

 I made myself jog even though I hurt. I rounded the corner and there was the aid station!
The TTR volunteers were happy to see me. They said they were getting worried. They were so welcoming and happy to see me. What a nice thing to arrive to. I ate some snacks, picked up my bag and told them I wouldn't be going any farther. They told me the women who passed me had quit early too. Well, at leat I wasn't the only one. :)

I jumped in Chance's truck and we went home. I felt so sick on the drive down the mountain! I wanted to throw up! Thankfully, that feeling passed and I arrived home sleepy and ready for a nap. 

The elevation gain. 

As soon as I finished, I told Chance I would never run this trail again.
But to be honest, it was quite an adventure! I hope to run it again next year! :D

We always seem to forget about the pain, don't we?

"We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us."